A new adventure coaster ride has been approved for development at the Blaenau Ffestiniog Zip World Llechwedd attraction.

The proposed new attraction ‘Cartiau Gwyllt’ has been agreed with conditions by Cyngor Gwynedd planners.

The application described a gravity-fed coaster, the erection of a rail track supported on steel columns and bridge structures.

It also included engineering operations to create tunnels, together with associated infrastructure, reuse of existing building to provide a loading bay, erection of new building as coaster sled store and relocation of the existing toilet block.

The application has been made by Zip World Ltd through the agent Sioned Edwards of Cadnant Planning.

Planning documents describe the proposed site as being within a quarry, approximately 1km north of the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The site, popular with tourists, already has a number of attractions including the Titan zip line, which is over 1km long, the Big Red, which is a mobile zip line, quarry tours, underground golf and trampolining, and a cavern adventure course.

A planning document described the proposed new coaster as an “adventure ride” that consisted of a large track on a frame track across the length of the quarry.

Coaster
Technical drawings for the coaster (Cyngor Gwynedd)

“Participants are harnessed to the cart and that allows them to experience a free-fall drop that comes to a halt,” it said.

“The coaster is to be the first of its kind in the UK, but it is understood to be very similar to the existing Fforest coaster ride at the Zip World Betws-y-Coed site.

“The ride typically lasts seven minutes per cycle, including being slowly towed up to the starting point on a winch for the first five minutes, followed by a two-minute gravity-powered descent on the track back to the starting point.

“Each rider goes through three cycles after which the riders switch over.

Whilst there is a single track, more than one rider can be on a descent (i.e. at different stages of the descent) at any given time.

“It is estimated there will be a maximum of 60 descents per hour at peak

times in the summer holidays, however it will be much less during most of the year.”

“The proposal is to complement the existing visitor attractions which are currently operational within the site,” the plans say.

“The ride includes a 900m long ‘Cartiau Gwyllt’ attraction that consists of a sled that runs on a track supported by steel supports.

“A 390m Wiegand lift system will also be constructed to return the sleds to the starting position.

“The proposals will also include a tension station that will be clad in a grey metal, a top station drive, plus the refurbishment of an existing toilet block to a building for the storage and operation of the ride.”

Among the conditions imposed was that the use of the coaster attraction shall be restricted to the hours of 10am to 6pm, between April and September, and between 10am and 4pm, from October to March.